“Acting head of the household” is a psychological phenomenon of the left-behind families in China. It was named by the author. That is, a left-behind woman with maladaptation and difficulties in role ...change usually actively establish a very close connection with a role outside the family after the husband’s departure from home. In the process of helping and supporting the left-behind family, the role becomes the actual decision-maker, instructor, and even savior of the family, and eventually instead becomes the actual “head of the household” of the family. The left-behind family’s “acting head of the household” is a unique phenomenon in the development of Chinese society under its culture. This phenomenon has not yet attracted widespread attention and is a blind spot in Chinese mental health and psychosocial services.
As a main component of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) plastics, polycarbonate (PC) shows an important recycling significance. However, separating PC from WEEE plastics is difficult ...due to their similar hydrophobic surfaces and densities. Herein, a novel surface modification method using Fenton treatment combined with ultrasonic was proposed to selectively separate PC from acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) by froth flotation. The effects of surface modification and flotation conditions on the flotation recovery of plastics were investigated to determine the optimum separation conditions for PC. The optimum conditions are ultrasonic power 240 W, ultrasonic time 8 min, molar ratio (H
2
O
2
/Fe
2+
) 100, hydrogen peroxide concentration 0.3 mol/L, pH 3, frother concentration 20 mg/L, stirring rate 1800 rpm and flotation time 4 min. Under optimum conditions, the recovery and purity of PC with different mass ratios exceed 97.97% and 99.18%, respectively. Contact angle and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to ascertain the mechanism of surface modification. The surface of PC becomes more hydrophilic due to the introduction of oxygen-containing groups induced by surface modification. Consequently, this study provides a practical surface modification method for the separation of PC from WEEE plastics, which will effectively promote the recycling of PC.
Purpose
Low back pain (LBP), a widely prevalent and costly disease around the world, is mainly caused by intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD). Although numerous factors may trigger this ...degenerative process, microbiome dysbiosis has recently been implicated as one of the likely causes. However, the exact relationship between the microbiome and IDD is not well understood. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms and discusses microbiome dysbiosis’s possible influence on IDD and LBP.
Methods
Prospective literature review.
Results
Alterations in microbiome composition and host responses to the microbiota causing pathological bone development and involution, led to the concept of gut-bone marrow axis and gut-bone axis. Moreover, the concept of the gut-disc axis was also proposed to explain the microbiome’s role in IDD and LBP. According to the existing evidence, the microbiome could be an important factor for inducing and aggravating IDD through changing or regulating the outside and inside microenvironment of the IVD. Three potential mechanisms by which the gut microbiota can induce IVD and cause LBP are: (1) translocation of the bacteria across the gut epithelial barrier and into the IVD, (2) regulation of the mucosal and systemic immune system, and (3) regulation of nutrient absorption and metabolites formation at the gut epithelium and its diffusion into the IVD. Furthermore, to investigate whether IVD is initiated by pathogenic bacteria and establish the correlation between the presence of certain microbial groups with the disease in question, microbiome diversity analysis based on16S rRNA data can be used to characterise stool/blood microbiota from IVD patients.
Conclusion
Future studies on microbiome, fungi and viruses in IDD is necessary to revolutionize our thinking about their possible role in the development of IVD diseases. Furthermore, we believe that inflammation inhibition and interruption of amplification of cascade reaction in IVD by targeting the gut and IVD microbiome is worthwhile for the treatment of IDD and LBP.
Level of Evidence I
Diagnostic: individual cross-sectional studies with the consistently applied reference standard and blinding.
In order to control the corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries have adopted social quarantine policies, with older adults in Wuhan suffering the longest and most severe ...conditions. But few studies have explored the impact of this on the mental health of older adults in Wuhan. The purpose of this paper is to examine changes in the residential status and mental health of this group when 1 year after the social isolation policies in Wuhan.
A cross-sectional study with convenience sampling was conducted to assess the questionnaire of older adults in a total of 21 streets in 5 central and 2 distant urban districts of Wuhan. Using a self-compiled living status questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the General Anxiety Disorder-7, the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Social Support Rating Scale, our survey evaluated the living status, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, loneliness and social support of all the participants.
A total of 400 valid samples were obtained. One year after experiencing social isolation, older adults had not changed much from their pre-epidemic living status and mostly lived with their partners. They had satisfactory social support (33.86 ± 6.92) and low levels of depression (3.12 ± 4.30), anxiety (1.52 ± 3.19) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (21.41 ± 7.39), but there were moderate levels of loneliness (38.27 ± 9.31). Among them, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms were significantly higher (ps < 0.05) in older adults who were COVID-19 close contacts while experiencing social isolation.
One year after experiencing Wuhan's harsh social isolation, older adults in the Wuhan community did not experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress, but loneliness has increased and the mental health of older adults who were COVID-19 close contacts needs attention.
Background
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempt (SA) are risk behaviors that lead to physical injury and even death in individuals, and are a very powerful risk factor when both occur ...together, with individuals presenting with more severe psychological and behavioral problems. Due to the different demographic characteristics of different study subjects, an overall understanding of the incidence and occurrence of this co-occurrence is lacking to clarify the focus of clinical interventions and future research directions.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted for relevant studies in English and Chinese that reported data on co-occurring non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts as of May 2022. The incidence of co-occurrence of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempt (NSSI + SA) was calculated using Stata version 16.0 software based on a random-effects model, and the differences in incidence in different populations were compared by subgroups of age group, comorbidity, and time of occurrence. The study was written in strict accordance with PRISMA norms and registration was completed on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42022329095).
Results
A total of 37 studies (139,573 individuals) were included for meta-analysis, and the combined incidence of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempt co-occurrence was 9.6%. Among different groups, the prevalence of NSSI + SA was 10, 11, 6, and 26% in adolescents and young adults, adults, the general population, and people with mental illness, respectively, and the co-occurrence of NSSI + SA within 12 months was 17%.
Conclusion
There is a significant group with a history of both non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts and presenting with more severe symptoms clinically. Targeted prevention and intervention are urgently needed, but the direction of intervention needs further research on the occurrence trajectory of this co-occurrence.
Systematic Review Registration
http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42022329095
, identifier: CRD42022329095.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals are more likely than cisgender heterosexuals to experience mental, physical, and sexual health issues. A promising ...contemporary strategy to address the issue of affective symptoms in sexual and gender minorities (SGM) is psychosocial intervention.
To systematically evaluate the effect of psychosocial interventions on the improvement of affective symptoms in SGM, and to provide a reference for the implementation of effective psychological interventions for SGM with affective symptoms.
Between the date of database construction until December 10, 2022, a computerized search of the English-language literature published both nationally and worldwide was done. 8 literature databases and 3 additional gray databases were searched. We gathered randomized controlled trials that used psychological interventions for SGM. To evaluate risk bias in included papers in accordance with Cochrane cooperation criteria, we used Review Manager 5.4 software. In conjunction with post-test and follow-up data, mean differences were standardized using Stata 12.0 software. Subgroup analysis was used to investigate the cause of heterogeneity. The study was conducted strictly in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, and it was registered on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42023408610).
This review covered 18 research, and 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 1194 study cases, including 706 cases from the control group and 488 cases from the experimental group, were included in these investigations. Compared to the control group, the psychosocial intervention group had significantly lower levels of depression (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.17;95% CI = -0.30, -0.04; p = 0.012) and anxiety (SMD = -0.22; 95% CI = -0.41, -0.04; p = 0.01), but no significant differences were found for distress (SMD = -0.19; 95% CI = -0.45,0.07; p = 0.021).
According to this study, psychosocial interventions helped lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety in SGM but had no significant effect on their psychological distress. To assess the impact of psychological intervention on SGM, more randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and numerous follow-up times should be done.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Human Ab-secreting cell (ASC) populations in circulation are not well studied. In addition to B-1 (CD20(+)CD27(+)CD38(lo/int)CD43(+)) cell and conventional plasmablast (PB) (CD20-CD27(hi)CD38(hi)) ...cell populations, in this study, we identified a novel B cell population termed 20(+)38(hi) B cells (CD20(+)CD27(hi)CD38(hi)) that spontaneously secretes Ab. At steady-state, 20(+)38(hi) B cells are distinct from PBs on the basis of CD20 expression, amount of Ab production, frequency of mutation, and diversity of BCR repertoire. However, cytokine treatment of 20(+)38(hi) B cells induces loss of CD20 and acquisition of CD138, suggesting that 20(+)38(hi) B cells are precursors to PBs or pre-PBs. We then evaluated similarities and differences among CD20(+)CD27(+)CD38(lo/int)CD43(+) B-1 cells, CD20(+)CD27(hi)CD38(hi) 20(+)38(hi) B cells, CD20(-)CD27(hi)CD38(hi) PBs, and CD20(+)CD27(+)CD38(lo/int)CD43(-) memory B cells. We found that B-1 cells differ from 20(+)38(hi) B cells and PBs in a number of ways, including Ag expression, morphological appearance, transcriptional profiling, Ab skewing, Ab repertoire, and secretory response to stimulation. In terms of gene expression, B-1 cells align more closely with memory B cells than with 20(+)38(hi) B cells or PBs, but differ in that memory B cells do not express Ab secretion-related genes. We found that B-1 cell Abs use Vh4-34, which is often associated with autoreactivity, 3- to 6-fold more often than other B cell populations. Along with selective production of IgM anti-phosphoryl choline, these data suggest that human B-1 cells might be preferentially selected for autoreactivity/natural specificity. In summary, our results indicate that human healthy adult peripheral blood at steady-state consists of three distinct ASC populations.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, which has a substantial genetic component. AD affects predominantly older people. Accordingly, the prevalence of dementia has been rising ...as the population ages. To date, there are no effective interventions that can cure or halt the progression of AD. The only available treatments are the management of certain symptoms and consequences of dementia. The current state-of-the-art medical care for AD comprises three simple principles: prevent the preventable, achieve early diagnosis, and manage the manageable symptoms. This review provides a summary of the current state of knowledge of risk factors for AD, biological diagnostic testing, and prospects for treatment. Special emphasis is given to recent advances in genetics of AD and the way genomic data may support prevention, early intervention, and development of effective pharmacological treatments. Mutations in the
, and
genes cause early onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) that follows a Mendelian inheritance pattern. For late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD),
was identified as a major risk allele more than two decades ago. Population-based genome-wide association studies of late onset AD have now additionally identified common variants at roughly 30 genetic loci. Furthermore, rare variants (allele frequency <1%) that influence the risk for LOAD have been identified in several genes. These genetic advances have broadened our insights into the biological underpinnings of AD. Moreover, the known genetic risk variants could be used to identify presymptomatic individuals at risk for AD and support diagnostic assessment of symptomatic subjects. Genetic knowledge may also facilitate precision medicine. The goal of precision medicine is to use biological knowledge and other health information to predict individual disease risk, understand disease etiology, identify disease subcategories, improve diagnosis, and provide personalized treatment strategies. We discuss the potential role of genetics in advancing precision medicine for AD along with its ethical challenges. We outline strategies to implement genomics into translational clinical research that will not only improve accuracy of dementia diagnosis, thus enabling more personalized treatment strategies, but may also speed up the discovery of novel drugs and interventions.
Objectives Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of antipsychotic exposure and are disproportionally affected by higher mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 ...(COVID-19). Our goal was to determine whether concurrent antipsychotic medication use was associated with increased COVID-19 mortality in older patients with preexisting behavioral health problems. We also report on findings from post-COVID follow-ups. Design Retrospective observational study. Participants Outpatients at a geriatric psychiatric clinic in New York City. Measurements Demographic and clinical data including medication, diagnosis and Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) scales on outpatients who had COVID-19 between February 28.sup.th and October 1.sup.st 2020 were extracted from the electronic health records (EHR) from the hospital. Results A total of 56 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 (mean age 76 years; median age 75 years) and 13 (23.2%) died. We found an increased mortality risk for patients who were prescribed at least one antipsychotic medication at the time of COVID-19 infection (Fisher's exact test P = 0.009, OR = 11.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.4-96.0). This result remains significant after adjusting for age, gender, housing context and dementia (Logistic regression P = 0.035, Beta = 2.4). Furthermore, we found that most patients who survived COVID-19 (88.4%) recovered to pre-COVID baseline in terms of psychiatric symptoms. Comparison of pre- and post-COVID assessments of CGI-S for 33 patients who recovered from COVID-19 were not significantly different. Conclusion We observed a higher COVID-19 mortality associated with concurrent antipsychotics use in older patients receiving behavioral health services. The majority of patients in our geriatric clinic who recovered from COVID-19 appeared to return to their pre-COVID psychiatric function. More precise estimates of the risk associated with antipsychotic treatment in older patients with COVID-19 and other underlying factors will come from larger datasets and meta-analyses.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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